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UNITED STATES Parent Orricu.

EDMUND TLWVEEDY, OF DANBURY, CONNECTICUT, AND HENRY L. BREVOORT ANDISAIAH L. ROBERTS, OF BROOKLYN, NEv YORK.

PROCESS OF PREPARING FUR FOR FELTlNG.

Application filed May 20, 1855.

To aZZ whom it 72mg concern Be it known that we, EDMUND TwnEDY, aresident of the town of Danbury, county of Fai rfield,and State ofConnecticut, and HENRY L. BREVQORT and ISAIAH L. ROBERTS, residents ofthe city of Brooklyn, county of Kings, and State of New York, and allcitizens of the United States, have invented a new and useful Process ofPreparing Fur for Felting, of which the following is a clear and exactdescription, which will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to practice and use the same.

Nitrate of mercury has longbeen used for the purpose of preparing furfor felting. This process has many objections.

Our invention consists in treating the fur, either off or on the skin,with oxidizing-fumes prepared for the purpose.

In carrying out our invention we hang the skins up in a chamber, or wespread the fur upon trays placed in the chamber, such trays havingpreferably sieved bottoms, and we form in the said chamber, or cause toflow into it, oxidizing-fumes, such as vaporized nitric acid, dioxide ofsulphur, nitrous fumes, 82c. lVe prefer to use the vapor or fumes ofnitric acid, which we prefer to make by treating saltpeter withsulphuric acid and heat in a retort outside of the chamber, and fromwhich retort the vapor or fumes are introduced into the chamber. Whenthe skins, with the fur upon them, or the fur alone after being treated,are to be removed from the chamber, we prefer prior to such removal toempty the chamber of the fumes by means of a draftbrifice entering intoa line or chimney. The fur is to be submitted to the fumes or the vaporsfor a sufficient length of time to perform the necessary work-to wit, toput it into such a condition that it may be subsequently felted. Thisperiod depends upon the strength of the fumes used. We have obtained avery satisfactory result in the following manner: In a box four (at)feet long and three (3) feet wide and three (3) feet deep we havesuspended fifty Scotch cony-skins. We then shut the lid to prevent theescape of fumes. The box was provided with an opening in the lower part,which could be shut by a plug or valve. It

PECIIFIJATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 339,351, dated April 6,1886.

Serial No. 166,183.

(No specimens.)

was also connected near the top with a pipe leading to a chimney-flue,which could be closed by a damper. The neck of aretort was inserted intoa hole in the box near the top, and in the retort was placed one (1)pound of 5 powdered saltpeter and one (1) pound of sulphuric acid. Theretort was heated with a gas jet, and the vapor or fumes producedescaped from the retort into the box foraperiod of eight hours, the holeand the pipe leading to the 6c chimney being then shut. The damper onthe pipe to the flue was then opened and the plug removed from theopening in the lower part of the box,(the retort being also removed,)which caused a draft, which carried off the fumes. 65 The box was thenopened, the skins were removed, the fur was cut from them in the usualmanner, and was then felted into hats. No change in the appearance ofthe fur treated by this process will be noticed by the naked eye afterthe fuming. The fur may be exposed for varying lengths of time to thefumes, this being a matter under the control of the operator. Thestronger or more concentrated the fumes and the less the admixture ofatmospheric air the shorter may be the treatment, and, on the otherhand, with dilute or Very weak fumes there will be required a longertreatment. By this process it will be observed that the fur is neverbrought into contact with any liquidssuch as nitrate of mercury and thelikeand that no materials are left in the fur which may prove injuriousto the workmen in the manufacture of the hat or the felting for anyusual manufacture.

Our process produces a superior article of felt.

In the practice of our invention the material or materials from whichthe fumes are to be produced are of course not to be placed upon thefur, but are to be kept separate and dis tinct therefrom, the fur merelybeing brought in contact with the fumes produced.

We intend to produce or manufacture the fumes in Various ways, and alsoto produce or manufacture them in the chamber or box which contains thefur, the precise method of carrying out the process being unimportant ormerely a question of convenience, and the gist of the process being thesubjection of the fur to intimate contact with the fumes, so that lwhich the fur is placed, and then conducting the latter may act upon thefur or the substance which coats the fur.

As we understand it, some substance exists on the surface of the fur,which, in its normal state, is a water-repellent, and to enable the furto be felted this material must be either removed or so changed that hotwater used in the sizing or felting operation can come in contact withthe fur itself. By our process the oxidizingfumes oxidize this material,and it then ceases to be water-repellent. I-Iowever, whether our theorybe correct or not,

the advantageous results herein referred to can be obtained bypracticing the process set forth in this specification.

Vhat we claim, and desire to secure by Lctters Patent, is-

1. Subjecting fur to prepared oxidizing fumes or vapors, substantiallyas described.

2. The process of treating fur, which con sists, first, in themanufacture of suitable oxidizing-fumes, and then, second, submittingthe fur to the action of such fumes, substantially as described.

3. The process of treating fur, which consists in subjecting it to theaction of oxidizing vapors or fumes when the fur is contained in achamber to which the fumes are admitted, so that they may be broughtinto contact with the fur to be treated, substantially as described. 4

4. The process of treating fur, which consists in forming oxidizingvapors or fumes in a suitable apparatus outside of the chamber in thesaid fumes and vapors into the chamber and permitting them to act uponthe fur contained in said chamber, substantially as described.

5. The process of treating fur, which consists in forming oxidizingfumes or vapors,subjecting the fur in a chamber or receptable to suchvapors for the desired length of time, then emptying the said chamber ofthe fumes, and subsequently removing the fur therefrom, substantially asdescribed.

6. The process of treating fur, which consists in subjecting it tooxidizing-fumes which are the product of a material or materials notplaced upon or in contact with the fur fibers themselves, substantiallyas described.

7. The process of treating fur, which consists of the following steps:first, placing the fur in achamber or receptacle; second, closing thesaid chamber or receptacle; third, causing oxidizing-fumes to fill itsinterior; fourth, causing the oxidizing-fumes to flow out of the chamberafter the fur has been treated; fifth, opening the chamber and removingthe treated fur.

8. As a new article of manufacture, fur prepared for felting in themanner herein described.

EDMUND TlVEE-DY. HENRY L. BREVOORT. ISAIAH L. ROBERTS. Vitnesses:

JOSEPH L. LEVY, B. T. VETTERLE'IN.

